Joseph Bighetty

Pascal Bighetty was born Wednesday, June 15, 1949 to Baptiste and Cecil Bighetty. At age 64 years, he passed peacefully away at the Flin Flon General Hospital, Flin Flon, Manitoba, at 11:00 am, Monday, May 19, 2014. Pascal loved to go camping and hunting at Duck Lake. As a young man he was brought up in the wilderness by his parents and grandparents. Pascal liked to play music on his fiddle, guitar or piano. He played his fiddle for many jigging and square dances in Pukatawagan. Pascal loved his family and extended family, most of all he loved the people of Pukatawagan. He cared very much for the community and he strived most of his life for progress and the betterment for the people, youth and children. Pascal loved and respected all elders, visited them as often as he could. Pascal had many accomplishments, among them; Chief from 1974—1988, 1996—1999 and he was elected again from 1999—2002. He was our Chief for 20 years. In 1974 he contained fire arm resolution with council; 1976 RCMP detachment; 1986 Hydro landline; 1987 water and sewer lines. In 1994 negotiations began to buy Beaver Air Services, which later became Missinippi Airways, owned by the people. In 1987 JCL Memorial Centre, CMHC Housing, Child Care Centre; 1991 Pukatawagan School was shut down due to contamination and by September 2000 Chief Pascal Bighetty along with Council and the community, opened Sakastew School; 1997 Omnitrax cancelled rail service and Chief and council negotiated to buy the rail line which became Keewatin Railway. In 1974 Pukatawagan was a third world reserve with no houses or running water and hydro. Pascal negotiated for 300 houses with running water and hydro for Pukatawagan. He also negotiated the hydro line from Laurier River and he built the first inside skating arena, as well as the first community complex and the winter road from Pukatawagan to Sherridon without funding. When he and his crew arrived in Sherridon, two trucks followed them back to Pukatawagan. This was the opening of the first winter road to Pukatawagan. There were many more negotiations with AFN, AMC, KTC and SCTC that had a lasting and positive impact for the community. Pascal was predeceased by his children Don and Bonnie; grandchild Angel; parents Baptiste and Cecil Bighetty; grandparents Julian and Nancy Bighetty, Pascal and Clara Dumas; brothers Edward, Lucien, Johnny and John “Hornns” Sinclair; sister Clara Colomb; uncle Gabriel Bighetty; aunt Myra Ballantyne; nephews Bryden Bighetty, Kristofer Dumas, Gordon W. Sinclair, Marion Bighetty, Colin Colomb; nieces Cynthia Bighetty, Marie Rose Dumas, Delores Colomb, Sherry Castel, Bibian Dumas; father-in-law Hanson Hart; brother-in-law Don Nice. Pascal is survived by wife Marie Adele Sinclair; sons Pascal Jr., Star Blanket, Joey; daughter Elizabeth Raven and all her children; grandchildren Heaven, Tipiskaw, Ira Hayes, Disraeli, Yasha, Aribella, Shining Star; brothers Joseph, Cornelius, Bernard (Agnes) and family, Henry (Theresa) and family, Kenneth; sisters Madeline Nice and family; Rosalie (Matt) and family, Sharon and family; mother-in-law Caroline Hart; niece Nancy (Mike) and family; extended family Rose (common-law), her children and grandchildren; special daughter Raintree; auntie Theresa Bighetty and family; Marie Ballantyne and Charlotte Bighetty and family; adopted son Irvin Pronteau; special nieces Thelma Nice, Cora Leah Bighetty; sisters Victoria Francois, Matilda Linklater, Mary Ann Dumas; uncles Angus (Pelagie) Linklater; brother Stan Bighetty and family; friends Jimmy Colomb and family, Baptiste Caribou, Allan Aiken, Gerry Serkowski, Mathias Sinclair, Oliver Colomb, Chief Andrew Colomb, John Colomb, Celestine Colomb, Murdock Sewap; uncles and niece in Sandy Bay Morris Ballantyne, Nola Bear and family, Steve McDonald and family; and many nieces, nephews and friends too numerous to mention. If we forgot anyone it was not intentional. WAKE SERVICES Wednesday, May 21, 2014 Church of the Messiah, Opaskwayak Cree Nation, MB Thursday, May 22, 2014 Pukatawagan Youth Centre, Pukatawagan, MB FUNERAL SERVICE Friday, May 23, 2014 9:00 am Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Pukatawagan, MB Presiders: Mary Ann Dumas, Flora Grieves, Hilda Francois, Theresa Bighetty INTERMENT Sunday, June 15, 2014 Duck Lake, Manitoba. PALLBEARERS Pascal Bighetty Jr., Irvin Pronteau, Jimmy Colomb Sr., Oliver Colomb, Matt Sinclair, Star Bighetty, Joey Bighetty, Raymond Sinclair, Kelsey Bighetty, Bernard Bighetty, Alex Hart, Michael Linklater, Cornelius Bighetty. HONORARY PALLBEARERS All of Pascal’s Family and Friends. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association, 200-310 Broadway, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 0S6 or to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba, 6 Donald Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3L 0K6, would be appreciated by Pascal’s family.